It was the first time Sean had heard him speak.
Brian frowned. “Wherever it is, you're not going.”
“I don't know about that,” said Seamus. “He's not much to look at, but he reminds me of a bitch I had in prison. I say we take him with us.”
Brian shrugged as he looked at Gabe. “Whatever turns you on.”
Sean didn't like the idea of them splitting up the passengers. What were they planning? Suddenly, one of the terrorists stood in front of him.
The man motioned toward the front of the plane. “You heard what Brian said. Get moving into first class.”
Elissa clung tightly to Sean. “Please let me go with him,” she pleaded.
The terrorist looked her up and down. “Sorry sweetheart, not enough meat on them bones. You stay here.”
Sean walked down the aisle following the other passengers who had been chosen to move to the front of the plane. At least he would be near Larissa. For the moment, he clung to that thought like a lifeline.
Chapter 25
Brian enjoyed the look of fear on the faces of the passengers, especially the women. It gave him the ultimate rush to feel power over life and death surge through his body. As he walked down the aisle pointing at one attractive person after another, he smiled to himself. This was like some demented beauty contest where the winner's reward would be pain, instead of glory.
He kept Larissa at his side as he called various people from their seats and sent them forward. He turned to see Seamus pulling Fiona down the aisle.
“You belong in first class, bitch.” Seamus' tone brooked no argument as Fiona struggled against him.
She tried in vain to escape his grasp. “Let me go, you big lunkhead.”
“Not so rough, Seamus.” Brian chuckled. “Do you know who this is? She's my daughter.”
Seamus raised an eyebrow as he released Fiona from his grip.
She gave Brian a defiant glare. He touched her cheek and then raised his hand to pull out the pins which held her hair in place. The soft curls spilled out around her shoulders.
“That's better. Isn't she lovely, Seamus?” Brian laughed. “Oh that's right, you pitch for a different team, don't you?”
Seamus looked bored as he walked away.
“I'm not your daughter.” Fiona spat the words at him.
“Well, actually she's my stepdaughter,” he explained to Larissa. “But why quibble?”
“I pity any child who came from your genes.” Fiona froze him with a look, and suddenly he longed to destroy her.
“Well sweetheart, I can see you've grown a backbone since the last time we were together.” He smiled although his anger seethed just below the surface. “Do you remember the last time I saw you?”
Fiona ignored him and turned to Larissa. “Are you all right?”
Larissa shook her head. “I'm sick.”
Brian frowned as he took in her appearance. Larissa wasn't her usual elegant self and barely resembled the woman in the glamorous photo she'd sent him. Her skin was pale and her hair hung limply around her face.
“What's wrong with you?” he asked.
“I caught a virus or something. I keep throwing up.”
“I'll see if I can find a doctor.”
She saw Dina sitting in the front row and pointed towards her. “My friend usually carries medicine.”
“Then go sit with her,” said Brian.
Larissa didn't move. Instead, she put a hand on Fiona's arm. “I want Fiona to come with me.”
“You two know each other?” he asked in surprise.
“We're good friends,” Larissa said quickly.
Brian smiled. “What a small world. I never imagined your paths would intersect, considering you move in different social circles. But I'm delighted the woman I love and my little girl are friends.”
Larissa frowned. “Brian, do you mind if we sit down now? I'm not feeling very well.”
“One moment. I want a word with my daughter.”
As Brian drank in Fiona's blond beauty, he felt a tightening in his groin. He knew that very soon he would have both of these women. His blood raced as he contemplated the thought.
“I'm not your daughter and I never was.” Fiona looked away from him as if she couldn't bear to meet his gaze. “And we have nothing to talk about.” “Oh, I think we do.” He wanted to hurt her because he knew it would be a delicious experience, as it had always been.
“Are you still afraid of fire?” he said softly. “I remember you were as a child.”
Her defiant facade crumbled and she looked at him with the same fear a wounded animal caught in a trap might display to its captor.
He touched her full breast. “I wonder what a cigarette would feel like against this soft skin. What do you think it would feel like?”
She trembled as she stared back at him with large, frightened eyes. Brian felt power surge through him, and the feeling was almost as good as sex. Almost, but not quite.
“Stop it!” Larissa cried as she pulled Fiona into her arms. “Leave her alone.”
How dare she defy him! He realized he'd have to teach Larissa some manners. Both of these women needed discipline and he was just the one to administer it. However, he was a patient man and knew he had all the time in the world.
“Take Fiona with you and sit down,” he said finally. “But remember what I said. Stay away from Captain Merrick.”
* * * *
Dina looked up as they approached her. Jumping to her feet, she took Larissa into her arms. “What's wrong? You look awful.” She shook her head. “I mean I'm sure we all look awful, but are you sick or something?”
Larissa nodded. “Do you still carry around your portable pharmacy?”
As Dina opened her briefcase and located cold medicine and aspirin, Larissa glanced toward the aisle where Sean sat watching her. The intensity of his gaze drew her towards him. She longed to rush to his side, but feared putting his life in danger if Brian caught them together. When she could no longer bear to look at him without bursting into tears, she lowered her gaze and turned away.
“Have you noticed something?” Dina's voice was low and urgent. “Ian is missing. He wasn't in coach and he's not here either.” For the first time, Larissa realized she hadn't seen Ian since the ordeal began.
She turned to Fiona and whispered, “Do you know where Ian is?”
* * * *
As Brian walked through first class, he counted thirty-seven people. With the exception of Gabe, all of them were either handsome or beautiful. He was sure Mr. Stavros would be pleased with the selection since there were twelve hot men for him to fuck. Brian decided the captain and co-pilot were the most attractive of the males, and he was certain the big boss would agree with him.
The only thing that mattered was keeping the man in charge happy. Of course, Mr. Stavros had asked to meet Ian Renard, but he might have enough stamina to enjoy the rest of the group as well.
Ian Renard?
Brian looked up and down the aisles, but there was no sign of the actor. He walked back into coach class. Surely his team wouldn't have missed someone as handsome as Renard when they separated the passengers.
“Seamus,” Brian called to his second in command, “have you seen Ian Renard?”
Seamus shook his head and frowned.
Brian said slowly, “The last time I saw him he was headed for the restrooms in coach.”
“We pulled your daughter out of one of those restrooms,” said Seamus. “She was trying to climb up through the ceiling. Maybe she wasn't alone.”
“Find him!” said Brian. “Mr. Stavros specifically requested the bastard, and I need you to handle this problem quickly.”
“Right.” Seamus' face grew animated, perhaps at the thought of tracking down the attractive movie star.
Brian decided to give him some extra incentive. “Remember, you can do what you want to the guy. Just don't touch his face.”
Seamus' mouth turned up at the corners as he pulled a Tazer from his w
aistband. “That I can promise you.”
* * * *
Ian studied the electrical panel and tried to remember a movie he'd once seen. The hero had shorted out the electrical system on a plane, causing the lights to go out and the oxygen masks to drop down into the passenger cabin. If he could make that happen, in the darkness and confusion he could climb down and hide in the galley. Then he would be closer to Fiona. For no other reason than that, it was worth a try. He pulled out a wire with a metal tip and looked at it. The guy in the film had touched the metal tips of two wires together to knock out the system. But which two wires? There were so many to choose from. Did it even matter which two he chose? He hesitated. What if he caused the plane to crash?
Ian thought about it long and hard before coming to a decision. Chances were the terrorists were planning to kill them anyway. They hadn't bothered to hide their faces, had they? That could only mean they weren't worried about being identified. Ian took a deep breath as he ran his hands along the panel. Randomly, he chose two wires and pulled them out. He held one in each hand and then touched the metal ends together.
Chapter 26
Nothing happened. Ian pulled out two more wires and tried again. Nothing.
God damn it! Why didn't it work?
Because this was real life, not the movies.
He tried another set of wires and this time he slammed the metal ends viciously against each other. Suddenly, the area around him plunged into darkness.
* * * *
As Sean watched Brian move about the cabin, he saw through the terrorist's calm facade and knew he was agitated. It was apparent something had upset him because he didn't seem quite as cool and calm has he had previously.
Perhaps things weren't going according to plan. He wished there was some way he could further interfere with the terrorist's plans. He looked over at Larissa, as he'd done every minute since they'd been herded into first class. Her head rested against the seat and her eyes were closed. Her cheeks were pale and it was obvious she was ill. He longed to hold her against his chest and stroke her hair until she fell asleep.
As if sensing his gaze on her, she opened her eyes and looked at him. Her smile was the sun coming out from behind a cloud. He loved her so much!
As their eyes held, he couldn't help but wonder how much time they had together. Were they destined to lose each other after such a brief romance?
No!
He refused to give into that defeatist thinking. Somehow they would make it out of this situation and have a beautiful future together.
* * * *
Jean-Claude turned to Brian. “We'll be landing in fifteen minutes.”
Brian stared out at the dark expanse of the Caribbean Sea, which was a deeper shade of black than the night sky. Stavros Island was located in the French West Indies and fell under the jurisdiction of a third-rate South American dictator. Even if radar had somehow tracked them to this spot, no nation would violate the sovereign air space of the small, volatile country which offered its protection to Mr. Stavros for a hefty price.
They would be as safe as they'd been in their mother's womb, and the island would soon extend its hospitality to his weary team. Before they landed, he expected to see Seamus return with Ian Renard. Did the guy really think he could hide in an airplane which was nothing more than a flying tube? Ridiculous. He was sure Ian hadn't counted on the likes of Seamus Flynn tracking him down. The man had once been a top Interpol agent before discovering the life of terrorism.
“The plane will be refueled during our stay,” said Brian.
Jean-Claude nodded. “The more fuel, the greater the explosion on impact.”
Brian couldn't understand why these people were willing to sacrifice their lives for this cause. It was insanity, pure and simple. Still, he couldn't care less because he was in it for the money.
He thought about his own future. Eventually, he would find a private South Seas island and lay on the beach with Larissa at his side. He allowed himself to indulge the fantasy for a moment longer. Her soft, full mouth on his. His hands exploring her luscious curves while a gentle breeze kissed their bodies. Then his thoughts shifted to the problem of Ian Renard. He walked back to coach to see if Seamus had returned.
* * * *
Ian pulled off a panel above one of the restrooms. He was about to climb down when another panel popped open and the silhouette of a large man with a gun appeared in the dim light from the opening.
Ian crawled away but not before Seamus grabbed his ankle and pulled him backwards. Ian kicked him in the face and then stood up to run. A moment later, Seamus slammed into him. Within the space of a few seconds, he straddled Ian's waist as he pinned his wrists to the floor.
Ian grunted as the bigger man's erection pushed forcefully against his spine. He struggled to roll out from under the man's weight, but his efforts were in vain. Seamus was as solid as a brick wall and just as immovable.
“Hello, handsome,” he whispered in Ian's ear.
* * * *
When Brian left the cockpit and walked back toward coach, Sean noticed the only person guarding the passengers in first class was Georgina. She held a gun in her hand as she walked back and forth down the aisle. Could he somehow overpower her and take the weapon? And then what? He had counted three hijackers besides Brian. They must all be in coach since there were more people to guard in that section of the plane. Then he remembered that Craig, the other flight attendant, was also part of their group. Sean didn't see him, so he must also be in coach. Surely they had a fighting chance if they worked together.
Sean turned to Lloyd and said quietly, “Georgina is the only one guarding us.”
“Do you think we could take her?” said Lloyd. “Without getting shot?”
“I don't know, but we've got to do something. We're dead if we don't fight back.”
Lloyd's voice was hopeful. “Maybe they'll let us go when they get what they want.”
Sean shook his head. “They haven't concealed their identities because they have nothing to lose.”
“A 9/11 scenario?”
Sean considered the question. “Maybe, but I don't think Brian is suicidal.”
Sean clenched his hands into fists as he remembered the way the terrorist had looked at Larissa. He knew Brian planned to have her unless someone stopped him.
His voice hardened. “It's time we formulated a plan.”
Then the lights went out.
* * * *
Sean looked around in confusion. What in the world were they doing in the cockpit?
Suddenly, Larissa's arms were around his neck. Her mouth was on his and she kissed him passionately. He tasted her salty tears as they slid into his mouth. Then he felt her warm breath against his ear.
“I just wanted to tell you I love you.” Her words ended in a sob. “More than anything in the world. If there's no hope for us, at least I had the chance to tell you one last time.”
“We'll get out of this, Larissa.” His voice was firm. “I don't know how, but we'll find a way.”
“Oh, Sean.”
“I love you, princess.” He took her hand. “No matter what happens, please remember that.”
Her voice was urgent. “I need to tell you that Ian is hiding above the restrooms in coach class. Fiona thinks he might have knocked out the lights, but she's not sure.”
“My God.”
“I need to go.” She pulled her hand from his. “I can't let him catch me talking to you.”
Sean reached out to touch her, but she was already gone.
He stood up. There was just enough light for him to make his way toward the restrooms.
With Ian's help, perhaps they could find a way to make it harder for the terrorists to keep control of the plane. It might not work, but he knew one thing for certain. Anything was better than just waiting to die.
He shut himself in one of the restrooms, thankful to see it still had emergency lighting. He pushed the ceiling panel up with the palm of his hand.
He pulled himself into the dark expanse of airplane above the restrooms. The lighting was so dim, it took him a moment to orient himself. Eventually, he could make out shapes as his eyes adjusted to the dark, eerie world around him. What he wouldn't give for a flashlight! He crawled down the long corridor which ran the length of the plane and would eventually take him to the area above the coach restrooms.
As he approached the tail end of the plane, Sean saw Seamus kneeling beside Ian's unconscious body. His concentration was focused on unbuckling Ian's belt, and Sean seized the opportunity to move closer to them. He hesitated as he decided what to do next. Could he overpower the larger man and take away his weapon? He remembered the terrorist had a gun and a Tazer stuck in his waistband. It wouldn't be easy to get the upper hand because the guy was massive and powerful. A moment later, Seamus pulled Ian's slacks and underwear down to his ankles.
Shit.
Sean crawled ever closer to them as he prepared to charge the bigger man. As he stood up, the lights flickered back on. For an endless moment the two men stared at each other in surprise.
Chapter 27
Seamus gave him a nasty smile as his gaze slid down the length of Sean's body. “Do you want to join us, captain?”
Sean no longer had the element of surprise in his favor and knew there was only one option left. He slammed into the larger man and tackled him to the ground.
After a few seconds, it became apparent that he had no hope of subduing the terrorist. Seamus flipped him onto his back and then settled his weight on Sean's chest. Sean struggled for breath as the larger man pinned him down with a knee to his rib cage. One of the terrorist's beefy hands imprisoned both his wrists and Sean found it impossible to move.
“Two for the price of one, eh?” Seamus laughed. “I don't think I've ever had this much hot ass in my life.”
Hostages of Love (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 13
